Grisly details in Vernon Greeks trial

The Vancouver Province has been following the Vernon Greeks murder trial in Vancouver. Pretty bizarre details about one of the murders came out in court.

Ron Sparks, a former enforcer for the Greeks gang of Vernon, testified that gang members were angry and agitated when they couldn't reach one of their dial-a-dope lines. The gang tracked down Marnuik and took him to a building they called the office, said Sparks, 45, an enforcer for the gang from 2000 to 2003. (If he had stolen from them, he would have left town, but he didn't)

The office. I'm not sure where that was but we do remember that before the trial started the media reported Marniuk's death was linked to last year's extensive search of a Vernon warehouse that had links to the Hells Angels. The place on Fairweather Road is owned by Zenon Stepkowski whom police confirm is an associate of the Calgary chapter of the Hells Angels.

The media reported that warehouse was involved in the murder. I have no idea if that was the office they were referring to in the trial since I was not present and have heard nothing about the trial except what the newspapers have been reporting.

The court was told Sheldon O'Donnell, one of five members or associates of the Greeks standing trial for murder, taped Marnuik to a chair. O'Donnell - along with a second gang member who cannot be named because of a publication ban - and Sparks then started to punch Marnuik, Sparks said.

A second gang member who cannot be named due to a publication ban. What on earth is up with that. Why would one of the named suspects get a publication ban and not the others. That is very strange indeed. In fact, when I search the court registry for the other names of the accused, nothing shows up. Except for Zenon Stepkowski's 2011 assault charge when his co accused was charged with theft and a 2009 income tax case.

Anyways, Sparks claims they taped the guy to a chair and beat him with their fists, a pipe and a baseball bat. Sparks one of them seriously burned the guys hand with a blow torch. They then took the body into the bush near Enderby, set it on fire and ground it up. Enderby is the same town where Stepkowski had his income tax case.

The five originally charged are: Dale Sipes, Les Podolski, Sheldon O'Donnell, Peter Manolakos and Douglas Brownell. The trial is expected to hear from more than 100 witnesses and involve between 200 and 300 exhibits.

I think the main thing to remember when reading about the details of the Greek's trial is that they were affiliates of the Hells angels. They beat and murdered their own. Police claim one of the five victims was a Hells angels affiliate. Like I say, with friends like that, who needs enemies.



Andre Raymond has already plead guilty to being involved with four of the murders. In November 2004, Raymond helped lure 31-year-old Thomas Bryce, who had allegedly threatened to kill an associate of the Greeks, to a beach near Vernon.

As Raymond distracted the victim, an associate came up behind Bryce and struck him over the head with a baseball bat. Bryce was then repeatedly struck by the bat while lying on the ground. Wearing his Harley Davidson boots, Raymond then struck Bryce on the torso.

As they fled the scene, one of the Greeks used his vehicle to drive over Bryce's body. An unconscious Bryce was taken by ambulance to hospital where he died 17 days later, never having regained consciousness.

In April, Ken Beck pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Hewison and received a life term with no parole eligibility for 10 years.

William Mastop, a lawyer from Vernon, was charged by direct indictment, which alleges he took part in the activities of a criminal organization between August 2000 and December 2005.